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Serbian Patriarch concludes the visit to Saint Petersburg

24. July 2013 - 8:15

The last day of the stay in the north capital of Russia, on 22 July 2013, the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church and his delegation visited the Naval Cathedral of Saint Nicholas and the Epiphany in Saint Petersburg.

At the entrance His Holiness Irinej, Serbian Patriarch, was welcomed by the dean of the church protopresbyter Bogdan Soyko with the brotherhood. His Holiness venerated the wonderworking icon of Saint Nicholas and shrines at the altar. Then the delegation went to the upper church dedicated to the Epiphany.

Protopresbyter Bogdan Soyko greeted Serbian Patriarch and his entourage in his welcome address, in which he also stated that last year it was the 250th anniversary of this church. This church has been never closed, not even in the hard times of the atheistic prosecution of 20th century. In memory of the visit Serbian Patriarch was granted an icon of saint and wonder-worker Nicholas.

Following the tour of this church, Serbian Patriarch went to the stavropegic female convent of Sаint John of Rila. At the sepulcher of the church, where the relics of Holy Righteous John of Kronstadt rest, the prayers were offered to Patron Saint of Saint Petersburg. To a prayerful remembrance of this visit, His Holiness received an icon of Saint John of Kronstadt, painted by sisterhood of this monastery.

The same day the head of the Serbian Church with his delegation left for Moscow.